MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

Results tagged ‘ Theo Epstein ’

The bidding may start soon on Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. According to various media reports, Major League Baseball and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball have reached a basic agreement on a new posting system. The Japan Times reports the new system will have a maximum posting fee of $20 million. Final details are still being worked out but FOX Sports and MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal says if multiple teams submit the same bid, the player will be allowed to negotiate with all of those teams. Only the signing club would be required to pay the posting fee, which would not count against MLB’s luxury tax. Tanaka’s team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, opposed the $20 million max posting fee but the other 11 Japanese teams approved it.

During an interview on Comcast SportsNet Chicago Wednesday night, Theo Epstein said the Cubs were looking for “impact” pitching, and Tanaka would fit that. The 25-year-old was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 28 regular season games with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees and Dodgers are expected to be the most aggressive in pursuit of Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka when the posting system is finalized. Major League officials and the Japanese league are ironing out details.

Sherman said executives from two clubs expect the Cubs to be in the mix as well, with one saying they will be “really aggressive.”

Sherman notes that the Cubs have several impact position players (Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, Albert Almora) but not enough pitching.

Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer have been involved in the posting process for Japanese players before. They were with the Red Sox when they gave $51.1 million posting fee to land Daisuke Matsuzaka. If the Yankees, Dodgers, Rangers and Red Sox are in pursuit of Tanaka, it will be expensive.

The posting fees are still to be resolved. According to Sherman, MLB officials have been trying to lower the fees transferred from their teams to Japanese teams as part of the process to gain negotiating rights. The Rangers paid the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters $51.7 million posting fee to get Yu Darvish, then signed him to a six-year, $60 million contract.

MLB has a current proposal that involves a limit of $20 million, Sherman writes.

Why is Tanaka so highly regarded? Tanaka, 25, was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 28 regular season games with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, that’s why.

Cubs season ticket holders got a sneak peek at new manager Rick Renteria on Friday. At a presentation in downtown Chicago, an enthusiastic Renteria talked about how excited he was to take over the team.

“I feel we can win with young players,” Renteria said in the video, “because quite frankly the difference between an experienced Major League baseball club with veteran players is simply that [veterans] have the confidence level that’s been born over time and experience. I think what we’re trying to do is advance that confidence level as quickly as we can.”

Theo Epstein said one of the reasons Dale Sveum was dismissed as manager after the season is because the Cubs did not have that environment to develop young players.

“Frankly, that’s an area that I haven’t done a great job at, providing a Major League environment that’s supportive and allows our young players to continue to develop,” Epstein said. “That was really one of the major reasons for the managerial change, and one of the most important things we were looking for in a new manager. We wanted a new manager who had leadership experience and leadership traits. We wanted a new manager who had already impacted players positively at the Major League level, and impacted the Major League team.”

When Dale Sveum was dismissed on Sept. 30, Epstein said they would prioritize managerial experience in the next manager. Epstein wanted a “dynamic person” who could establish a winning culture after losing more than 90 games two years in a row. The emphasis also would be on a person’s ability to develop young talent. Renteria inherits a young core that includes first baseman Anthony Rizzo, shortstop Starlin Castro, and catcher Welington Castillo, and up and coming prospects in Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler and Albert Almora.

Theo Epstein said he wanted the next Cubs manager to have some experience at the job but apparently Brad Ausmus may not need that requirement. The Cubs interviewed Ausmus at Wrigley Field on Friday. Ausmus, 44, who interviewed Monday with the Tigers, played 18 seasons, and was currently a special assistant with the Padres. His only managerial experience was with Team Israel in a qualifying tournament for the World Baseball Classic.

Ausmus was a three-time Gold Glove winner and named to the All-Star team in 1999. He was drafted in the 47th round by the Yankees in 1987, but wanted to attend Dartmouth College. The Yankees allowed him to do so while playing in the Minor Leagues. He finished his career in 2010, having played for the Padres, Tigers, Astros and Dodgers, and compiled a career .251 batting average, 80 home runs and 607 RBIs in 18 seasons.

Houston manager Phil Garner once joked that he had to keep playing Ausmus “because if he starts managing, he’ll be better than me.” Ausmus’ response: “Yeah, but if he keeps playing me more, he may end up losing his job anyway.”

Joe Torre also predicted Ausmus would someday manage, and had the catcher take control of the Dodgers for one game at the end of the 2010 season.

“I’m not going to say that I don’t [have that ambition], but I can’t say 100 percent that I do,” Ausmus said after that Dodgers’ game, a 7-5 loss to the Diamondbacks. “I might go home and decide that is where I want to be all the time. I wasn’t even married until after I got to the big leagues, and I haven’t been home with my family for more than three or four months at a time. They may decide they don’t like me.”

He’s also quick with the quip. In 2010, the Sporting News called Ausmus the ninth smartest athlete in sports.

“I feel like when they say I’m one of the smarter ballplayers, it’s just their way of saying I don’t hit very much,” Ausmus responded.

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer hired Ausmus as a special assistant with the Padres in November 2010 when Hoyer was the GM in San Diego. Ausmus is the third person with a Padres connection to be interviewed for the Cubs job. Rick Renteria, 51, who has interviewed with the Mariners and Tigers, is the Padres’ bench coach. A.J. Hinch, 39, is currently involved with player development in the Padres’ front office.

If Theo Epstein sticks to his schedule, he now has 10 days to name a new Cubs manager. Epstein said he wanted someone in place before the GM meetings, which begin Nov. 11. The Cubs have talked to Rick Renteria, Dave Martinez, Manny Acta and Eric Wedge. On Thursday, Renteria, 51, interviewed for the Tigers job. He’s also talked to the Mariners about their vacancy.

Epstein most likely is waiting for the Red Sox celebration to quiet down before contacting third base coach Torey Lovullo, whom Boston manager John Farrell has endorsed. The Tigers also reportedly want to talk to Lovullo.

The wild card candidate is Brad Ausmus, 44, who interviewed Monday with the Tigers. Ausmus played 18 seasons, and was currently a special assistant with the Padres. Epstein has said he preferred to hire someone with managerial experience, and Ausmus has only managed Team Israel in a qualifying tournament for the World Baseball Classic.

* Cubs prospect Christian Villanueva was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and one RBIs in Yaquis de Obregon’s 8-3 loss to Los Mochis in Mexican Winter League play on Wednesday. It was Villanueva’s second homer of the winter league season.

Second baseman Arismendy Alcantara was 2-for-5 with a double and scored a run in Licey’s 7-4 win over Estrellas in Dominican Winter League play. Alcantara batted .271 this season for Double-A Tennessee.

* Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, who has interviewed for the Cubs’ job, also is a candidate for the Nationals’ managerial vacancy, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

* According to a survey of 26 music insiders by Rolling Stone magazine, Wrigley Field ranked second among rock stadiums and arenas in the U.S. Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Police, Jimmy Buffett, Rascal Flatts and Kelly Clarkson have all performed at the ballpark. Madison Square Garden in New York ranked No. 1, and Fenway Park was No. 3. The list is part of a “Venues that Rock” series.

* Got a question about the Cubs? The Cubs mailbag is back. Send your questions to CubsInbox@gmail.com, and please include your full name and hometown. Don’t bother sending your resume if inquiring about the vacant manager’s job. I’ll leave that to Theo Epstein & Co.

On Monday, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer were in California to meet with Padres coach Rick Renteria about the managerial vacancy, and plan on talking to Rays bench coach Dave Martinez later this week. The Cubs brass has talked to Manny Acta and A.J. Hinch already. Renteria, 51, managed four seasons in the Padres Minor League system before joining the big league staff as a bench coach. He also managed Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. He played parts of five seasons with the Pirates, Mariners and Marlins, and has managed in the Marlins and Padres organizations. Martinez, 49, was drafted by the Cubs in 1983, and made his big league debut in ’86. He played 16 seasons, including four with the Cubs (1986-88, 2000). He’s been part of Joe Maddon’s staff in Tampa since the 2008 season. The Cubs’ search began Sept. 30 when Dale Sveum was dismissed after two seasons as manager. Epstein has said he’d like to have the new manager in place by the GM meetings, which begin Nov. 11.

* Several members of the Cubs’ front office, including Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer, will be in Arizona this week to watch some of the young prospects play in the Arizona Fall League and the instructional league games. The AFL begins Tuesday with the Mesa Solar Sox — or “Soler Sox,” as in Jorge Soler — traveling to Glendale to play the Desert Dogs. Cubs prospects playing for Mesa include Soler, Albert Almora, Kris Bryant, Wes Darvill, Matt Loosen, Dallas Beeler, Lendy Castillo and Armando Rivera.

* Arodys Vizcaino, acquired from the Braves in July 2012 in the Paul Maholm trade, has been rehabbing in Mesa, and was scheduled to throw a live batting practice session on Tuesday, then pitch in instructional league games Oct. 15 and Oct. 18. The right-hander will likely see some action in Winter League play as well.

* Mike Olt, acquired from the Rangers in the Matt Garza deal this year, got some extra swings in at the Cubs complex this past week.

* There’s been a lot of progress made at the Cubs’ new Spring Training complex in west Mesa. It’s nice to see the stadium taking shape, palm trees planted and water in the little lake. The Cubs will leave their Fitch Park facility in November.

Dale Sveum will find out Monday whether or not he’ll be back at the helm for a third season. That’s when Theo Epstein will complete his evaluation of the manager and the coaching staff.

“It’s pretty standard at this time of year to take your time to look back at the season and make decisions on what can put the organization in the best position going forward,” Epstein said. “This is part of the process. At the same time, we owe it to everyone involved to get it done quickly and move forward. We’ll finish up the process on Monday.”

Epstein was in St. Louis to conduct end of the season meetings with most of the players along with general manager Jed Hoyer and Sveum.

Epstein first revealed the evaluation process regarding Sveum and his staff last week in Milwaukee. The lack of a definitive vote of confidence from Epstein prompted speculation regarding Sveum’s status.

“It is what it is,” Sveum said of the uncertainty. “It’s not like I have to deal with anything except the norm that comes along with this position and the situation the organization is in, the evaluation process of any team at the end of the year, especially a team that lost 90-plus games. It doesn’t affect me and doesn’t bother me like people might think it does. It’s just part of the process.”

The Cubs lost 101 games in Sveum’s first season in 2012, and will finish in last place in the National League Central this year.

“If you go into something not expecting this [evaluation] then it might be different,” Sveum said. “But when you go into any kind of job like this, you understand these things can happen at any given time. I’ve been around too long and have seen it on both ends. There’s nothing you can do but keep doing the same things you do. It’s not going to change you as a person or a baseball person.”

During the Milwaukee series, Sveum was caught on camera arguing with pitcher Edwin Jackson in the dugout, and the next day, Jeff Samardzija yelled at third base coach David Bell. Kevin Gregg also was upset at being told he would no longer close, but the problem was miscommunication.

“I look at those three little minor brushfires as things that naturally occur at the end of a difficult season and frankly, I think it’s been impressive that under Dale’s leadership we got through 11 months of the regular season without something like that happening,” Epstein said. “Those things are to be expected. If you don’t want those things to happen, then don’t trade 40 percent of your rotation every year. Those things are going to crop up.

“Frankly, the things behind the scenes are more important than some of the brushfires that sometimes become public,” Epstein said. “I don’t think those are a pattern at all.”

Epstein and Hoyer have said repeatedly they are not judging Sveum on the Cubs’ record.

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